


Episode Seven: A Sense of Longing and a Burning Ember

by keirajo



Series: Transformers: Star Voyager [8]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Desire, Foreplay, Friendship/Love, Heavy Petting, Kissing, Longing, M/M, Showers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-08
Updated: 2018-07-08
Packaged: 2019-06-07 00:10:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15206537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keirajo/pseuds/keirajo
Summary: Deadlock changes his name to Drift and gets new patterns on his armour.  Hot Rod is flirting with danger.  Magnus is becoming jealous.Nothing like a a rocky start to any kind of enduring relationship, is there?





	Episode Seven: A Sense of Longing and a Burning Ember

**Author's Note:**

> There's no actual interfacing, so it should be okay with the Mature rating, I believe (based on most other things I've seen here)--just lots of kissing and touching. If it's not, please let me know..............apologies!!!! *cries*

_**Episode Seven:  A Sense of Longing and a Burning Ember** _

 

 

            Deadlock had been living with Magnus and Hot Rod for well over a month now, fairly close to two.   Hot Rod had become a good friend to the anxious former Decepticon while Magnus slowly felt more at ease with the stranger sharing the hab block with himself and his little star.   Because Deadlock’s community service was to last for a year and he could otherwise make no credits, Magnus offered him a small wage of earnings by having Deadlock help teach his self-defense courses in the meantime.

            Magnus figured the swords the younger mech had been carrying were _not_ simply for show or for a vanity display.  So, he had Deadlock begin teaching staff work—both short staff and long staff.  Short staff was similar to sword-work…………and one was able to keep another hand free.   Long staff work required both hands, but offered a far more variety of uses.  With Deadlock teaching staff work, Magnus could focus on just the people in the hand-to-hand course.

            “I think I’d like to get my glyphs and striping done soon,” Deadlock said to Hot Rod, softly.

            They were in the little off-room from the meal preparation room, sitting at the meal table together.  He was showing the young, flame-colored mech the patterns he wanted through some crude sketches he’d made on the back of scrap paper.   Deadlock had asked to take some of the old building posting-advertisements from the First Precinct.  They usually recycled the paper they used, since it was rare they used any of the physical advertising like this.

            “With these new promises on my frame, I’d like to change my designation as well—if that is possible,” Deadlock continued, looking at Hot Rod hopefully.

            “Hey Mags, got a sec?”  Hot Rod called, getting up and peering around the doorframe into the main gather room.

            Magnus got up from the couch and walked in to the meal table area.  He planted a hand on the table and leaned over Hot Rod’s shoulder to look at the paper scraps on the table.   He was curious about what they were, but then the vivid red marks made him realize it was about his patterns that Deadlock wanted.

            “Deadlock wants to change his name, to show his new start in life.  _Can_ he change his designation?”  Hot Rod asked, curiously, tilting his head up to look at his guardian.

            “ _Mmm_.  Good question.  I know there are legal hoops for citizens of Corona, but you’re _not_ one at the moment.  You wouldn’t be able to be given legal citizen status until your community service is up,” Magnus responded, standing up straight and folding his arms in thought.   “I was able to simplify my designation, likely because Sentinel Prime sent the paperwork with both _‘Magnus’_ and _‘Ultra Magnus’_ on it.”

            “Deadlock’s situation is pretty different, though.  He’s not _relocated_ from another colony like Override is…….he _crashed_ here,” Hot Rod mumbled, placing a hand in a thoughtful position along the jawline of his faceplate.

            “Your teacher is from another colony?”  Magnus asked curiously.

            Magnus didn’t know many femmes and had never personally met Override.  Though it made him wonder if she could’ve been one of the femmes at the Well ten years ago……..?  Although, that would be a little silly to think the whole colony of Corona only had a _couple_ of femmes on it……….!

            “Yeah, she’s from Velocitron!”  Hot Rod answered, excitedly.  “She told me she was a top racer until she got badly injured.”

            That answered _that_ , then……………. _not_ one of the two femmes he’d met at the Well.  They had both been from _Caprica_.  Then again, there were about a dozen Sparks in the Well that day and some people had already come and left the area…………and not all who had taken in sparklings that day had been just from Lumiere.   It had just made Magnus curious, since he knew Blurr was the same age as Hot Rod—had come from the same flare at the Well ten years ago.   He’d met Blurr’s guardian _once_ , a long time ago, and _she_ was a femme.

            Though most of the time, one of Blurr’s guardian’s friends came to pick Blurr up after self-defense classes or a playdate with Hot Rod—as she had a long daytime scheduled job—she had come to pick Blurr up herself, once.   Magnus had noticed that she _wasn’t_ like most of the femmes he had met, though……..she _wasn’t_ unduly slender and her face was a bit longish and sharp.  She had red race lines on her primarily white frame, which had a grey derma layer.   The sturdy-looking femme had been cool and reserved.

            She’d given Magnus her designation as “ _Nitro_ ”, that one day she had spoken with him.  More recently he’d heard that Nitro was the _last one_ to come through the spacebridge before it had become disconnected from Cybertron.   He understood that Nitro came from Cybertron, however……….

            _Enough musing_.  The youths were asking his opinion on something.

            “So, these drawings, Deadlock……?”  Magnus asked, leaning on the table again.

            “They’re the glyphs and patterns I’d like a detaillist to apply to my frame,” the former Decepticon answered.  “The color choice of _red_ makes it proof of my dedication and devotion, while the _patterns_ detail my promises.  Redemption and searching, or questing are the primary promises……….hope is there as well.”

            Magnus wondered what the younger mech could be questing for?  What more……..what was he _hoping_ for?  The grey-and-white mech clearly had some sort of devotion to at least part of his faith, so his promises could be flexible and mean any number of things.  Though, the old soldier had to admit, Dedlock had lost a lot of his tension after the first few days.  The leadership trine had likely been right that he’d run away from something _painful_ , but now the younger mech felt he was free from his past and could finally become happy.

            “I’ll inquire tomorrow, at work—someone may likely know.  Or else I’ll submit a question to the Administrative Offices about name and designation changes,” Magnus said.  “Ask Hot Rod to redraw those bodies for you—he has decent artistic skill.   That way you can have a truer representation of your glyphs and patterns.”

            “Yeah, _trust me_ ………Artfire will be far happier with cleaner sketches!”  Hot Rod laughed, warmly.   “He can be a _prissy_ old mech, but his artistic skill is the best!”

            “Alright.  Should I draw the patterns and glyphs separately, so that he knows exactly what I want?   I still have lots of paper………..” Deadlock trailed off, a bit of anxiety rippling in his tightly-held field.

            “Don’t worry, we’ll take our time………Artfire’s skills are _brilliant_!”  The flame-colored mech said with a huge grin.

 

*      *      *     *     *

 

            By the time Deadlock was able to get his glyphs and patterns done with Hot Rod’s detaillist, Artfire—they had been able to legally change the former Decepticon’s name to the new name that he had chosen, “ _Drift_ ”.   He claimed the name represented his life, now—in a state of flux and unable to yet find an anchor.

            It was a far softer name and Magnus had to agree that it suited the younger mech.   However, he found his own emotions were becoming more and more riled the closer Drift was getting to Hot Rod—which, of course, Hot Rod was _definitely_ reciprocating.   Hot Rod always did prefer getting involved with dangerous elements……..and Drift was probably as deadly as they might come, here on Corona.  Magnus didn’t know _what kind_ of label for the jealousy he was feeling, to adhere to his emotions—only that he knew it was _most definitely_ jealousy.

            Was he jealous that someone was taking the attentions of _his little star_ away from him?  Or was he jealous that someone was taking _Hot Rod_ away from him?

            One answer stemmed from a guardian’s sense of protectiveness for their ward, while the other answer stemmed from love and desire.   But……… _which_ kind of jealousy was Magnus feeling?   And………..after the one incident, given that he could not answer or reciprocate Hot Rod’s confessed feelings at the time—did Magnus actually have any kind of right to forbid Hot Rod from having a possibly intimate relationship with Drift?

            Magnus didn’t have an easy solution for his feelings.  So, he’d begun doing research (mostly using books on his reader tablet) on relationships and interfacing.  Because if Magnus knew anything at all, one thing was most certainly clear—Hot Rod was looking for a _physically intimate relationship_.   The young mech would never be able to live with something gentle and practically platonic.

            “Hey, Mags……..Drift and I are going to go see a movie.  Wanna come?”  Hot Rod asked, leaning over the back of the couch and draping his arms around Magnus’ neck.

            Magnus’ hands fumbled with his reader tablet, right before he dropped it.  He was so invested in his reading that he never even felt Hot Rod’s field before the flame-colored mech hugged him.

            “ _Sorry!_    Didn’t mean to freak you out, Mags!”  Hot Rod gasped, pulling up straight and yanking his hands away, quickly.

            “It’s……….. _I’m sorry_ ,” Magnus apologized.  “I was just concentrating on reading.  You know how focused I can get when reading…….” he trailed off, apology coloring his voice and rippling through his field.

            “ _Movies_.  Me, you and Drift—what’cha say?”  Hot Rod asked, again, laughing. 

            “ _Mmm_.  You two may go……..I will likely ruin your enjoyment of the film, since I do not generally watch them,” Magnus answered, apologizing again and reaching down to pick up his reader tablet.

            He knew this would be Drift’s first time out, _socially_ , since getting his new name……….as well as having gotten his new glyphs and patterns done.  Magnus had asked around to find out about the leniency and lengths of freedom Drift had while in his custody and the answer from the Administrative Offices was basically “let him, if you trust him”.   Magnus, himself, no longer thought of Drift as any kind of threat—or the forerunner of a coming threat—at least, _not to others_.

            Only to Magnus’ relationship with Hot Rod, _that_ was the only threat Drift posed.

            “You’re sure, Mags?”  Hot Rod asked, a bit of a droop to his shoulders and spoiler.  His field was held close, but Magnus thought he felt disappointment in it.

            _‘Oh, slag………he **really** wants me to go……….’_ Magnus thought when he sensed all the signs of disappointment in Hot Rod’s frame and field.   He incycled a deep breath and then smiled up at Hot Rod.  “Well……if an oldtimer like me is welcome, then I will enjoy coming along,” he responded, standing up and locking his reader tablet before setting it down on the end table by the couch’s arm.

            “ _Pfft._   Oldtimer,” Hot Rod snickered.  “ _Driiiiiiiiiiift!!!_    C’mon……….we’re gonna go!  Get your aft out here!”  The flame-colored mech called down the hallway leading to the berthrooms.

            “Coming!  Just an astrosec!”  The mech called back.  Eventually, looking a bit hurried, Drift came into the main gather room.  He had clearly been buffing and polishing his newly-patterned armour.

            “ _Gah!_   Drift………I’m _blinded_!”  Hot Rod groaned dramatically, before breaking down into hysterical laughter.

            “It’s too much?  Well, you _didn’t_ tell me how to use the damn polish,” Drift moaned.  “We _don’t_ have things like this on Fortress……..”

            “You’ll get used to it,” Hot Rod laughed.  “ _Maaaaaaaags_ …….your shoulders are tense.  _Relax!_ ”  The young, flame-colored mech said, grabbing his guardian’s shoulders and squeezed them gently.  “It’s a _movie_.  We’re all _buds_.  _Relaaaaaaaaax!_ ”  He chided, softly.

            “I will _try_ to,” Magnus said with a smile.

            The three went to the theater complex in the heart of Lumiere.  When they chose a row of seats, Hot Rod chose to sit in between the two mechs older than him.   It seemed that the movie that Hot Rod had picked was some overblown action thing………with a lot of vehicle mode racing.

            Magnus noted a few times that Hot Rod leaned towards Drift, making hand motions as if describing something—but was not speaking, not even whispering.  _Oh_.  They were _comm-link_ speaking with one another.   Magnus never realized that Hot Rod had learned to use his comm-link.  So many things………….there were _so many things_ he was learning that he never knew about his little star.

            Hot Rod leaned towards Magnus and looked up at him expectantly, pointing to his audial.  Magnus got a ping and saw a code pop up on his HUD and realized it was a personal comm-link code.  So in response, he glyph messaged his own comm-link code to Hot Rod in the same way.

            _::What’cha think?  The races are the **only** good part of this flick,::_   Hot Rod’s warm and jovial voice said, translating easily through the comm-link system.

            _::The plot is a **bit** over the top,::_ Magnus responded with a chuckle.  _::Do people **seriously** talk like that, nowadays?::_

            _::Only if they wanna sound like real afts,::_ Hot Rod agreed.

            Magnus had to wonder if Drift thought a little bit like him, upon watching this movie.  While the white-and-grey mech was younger than him—he’d been raised on a harsh and barren planet.  They likely spoke a bit more formally………..and likely used a lot coarser language.  This was probably just as new an experience for Drift as it was for him.

            _::OH, **COME ON**!!!::_   Hot Rod’s voice groaned over _both_ Magnus and Drift’s comm-links, as the movie had an abrupt, cliffhanger-ish ending and the credits began to roll.   The young, flame-colored mech just began making low, grumbly noises in his vocalizer and random hand-gestures of pleading towards the screen.   Only loud, grungy metal music responded to him as the credits slowly travelled up the screen.

            _:: **That** was disappointing,::_ Hot Rod comm-linked them both.  _::They cut off the end of the grand prix! **Who** won?!::_

            _::Supposedly the good guys always win—unless it’s a tragedy?::_   Drift said, soothingly, to Hot Rod through the comm-link.

            _::Or **THAT** could explain the cliffhanger,::_ Magnus said to Hot Rod at almost the same time as Drift’s comm-link response.  He pointed at the screen which was slowing to its end crawl.   At the very last lines of the credits, a set of glyphs said:  “Hang on for _‘Hardline Grand Prix 2’_ , coming next summer!”

            “ _Gah!_    **_Seriously_** _?!_ ”  Hot Rod groaned as everyone around them began getting up and filing out of the theater.  “Hey guys, thanks for coming out with me—it’s a lot more fun if I have someone to talk to.”

            “It was a new experience for me, there’s _nothing_ like this on Fortress,” Drift murmured.

            “Was Blurr busy?   You _usually_ see these things with him,” Magnus asked, curiously.

            “Yeah, he’s dating a femme right now—so he’ll be occupied with her for the next week or two,” Hot Rod responded with a sigh.  Then he covered his deep longing with a huge grin at the both of them.  “It seems to be a pretty normal fling for him, _nothing serious_ …………I wonder if Blurr will ever find a serious relationship?”  He murmured.

 

*      *      *      *      *

 

            Drift came back into the main hab block and headed straight for the wash room.  Not many had shown up for self-defense class today, so Magnus had dismissed Drift to go and rest, if he’d like.   The white-and-grey mech mumbled to himself as he entered the large room and stopped with shock to find it already occupied.

            Hot Rod was there, in the standing washrack.  His body was foamed up with cleansing gel and his field was a tangled mess as it rippled out from him, nearly filling the room.

            **_/anxiety\_**

            **_/frustration\_**

**_/longing\_ **

**_/lust\_ **

            The young flame-colored mech was scrubbing his arms so hard that he was like to scrape even the durable dermal paint layers off of him.

            Drift realized he _couldn’t_ move.  Since he arrived here, he’d found the young mech vivacious and beautiful.   However, feeling the base emotions of lust in Hot Rod’s field triggered a deep longing inside of him, even though he _couldn’t_ …………

            The former Decepticon forced himself to turn away and leave, _hoping_ he hadn’t been noticed…….but then Hot Rod probably already sensed him when the younger mech’s field collided up against his the moment Drift entered the room.

            “Hey Drift………you can come in.  We can _share_ ,” Hot Rod sighed, motioning at the huge area of the washrack.  “It’s big enough……….”

            Despite the lust swirling in Hot Rod’s field, the more depressive feelings of anxiety and frustration seemed to be much stronger.  The younger mech was in a very low mood.

            “No, I……… _seriously_ , Magnus will **_kill_** me,” Drift mumbled, backing away towards the door.

            “ _Tch_.  He _can’t_ kill you if he won’t even make a move towards me.  I’m _not_ leaving this world a virgin mech,” Hot Rod grumbled.  “C’mon, I _won’t_ bite—heh, unless you _want_ me to,” he chuckled, softly, motioning to the spot next to him in the large washrack.

            Drift hesitantly walked up and took the offered spot.  He reached for the showerhead and turned it to aim the water at him for a few moments.  Hot Rod handed Drift the cleansing gel and the grey-and-white mech foamed it up in his hands before applying it to his body.  The two mechs were quiet as they got cleaned up, but Drift felt Hot Rod’s anxiety and frustration ease up a little.   The younger mech’s field pulled in very tight, as if he were worried about upsetting Drift.  The longing within what Drift could still feel of Hot Rod’s field had dissipated, but the lust was still heavy in the flame-colored mech’s field.

            “Here…….do my back and I’ll get yours, okay?”  Hot Rod said, his smile tight and unpleasant though.  “Careful of…….. ** _haaaaaahhhh_**!”  The younger mech keened lustfully as Drift’s servos swiped heavily on his spoiler.

            Drift actually leaped back as if he’d somehow hurt the younger mech.

            Hot Rod planted a servo to the wall and panted lightly.  “ _Uh_ …….spoiler……..careful of that……..” he trailed off, trying to laugh, but it came out as more depressive and sad.   “ _Sorry_.   Say, Drift…..?   Do you _like_ me?”  The young flame-colored mech asked, softly, as he straightened up and motioned for the slightly older mech to turn and present his back.

            “I’m………not really sure I should answer that,” Drift sighed, letting Hot Rod scrub his back.

            “ _Really_?   _You_ , too?   I’m living with two _amazing_ mechs and neither can say a damn thing to me,” Hot Rod grumbled, his servos kind and patient as he scrubbed Drift’s back.

            “Are you truly _that desperate_ for a relationship?”  Drift asked, trying to put a feeling of warmth and understanding into his field, with Hot Rod this close to him.

            “ _Only_ with someone I like,” Hot Rod sighed, tiredly.  “I like _you_ , Drift……..”

            “I like you, too, Hot Rod.  I like you _a lot_.   _You’re_ …………….you’re like the warmth of the sun on the derma after a freezing night alone,” Drift murmured.  “Magnus makes me nervous about expressing things like that to you, though……..”

            “ _Screw it_ ,” Hot Rod muttered, turning Drift around and kissing him hard.

            Drift _shouldn’t_ have been surprised by the kiss, given Hot Rod’s EM field emotions, but he actually _was_.  And it really was an _innocent_ style of kissing………like he knew what to do, only by having seen it in movies or read about it in books.   Hot Rod _wasn’t_ very skilled, he was clumsy and desperate……….and _that_ really charged Drift up.   His engine upshifted even as he tried to tell himself he _shouldn’t_ be doing this—that he should _stop right now_.  However, he knew he really _didn’t_ want to stop.  

            Gently, with the water and solvents dripping all over their frames, Drift placed his hands around Hot Rod’s waist and maneuvered them so that the younger mech was against the wall, beneath the showerhead.  Then he pulled away from Hot Rod’s desperate kissing and gazed down into the flame-colored mech’s optics……the tempered sky-blue glass coverings over the optic orbs was such a lovely color—and the glow of the optics beneath them made them seem heavenly.    Drift gently drew a couple of fingers along the side of Hot Rod’s faceplate until he’d reached the chin and he gently held the edge between fingers and thumb.

            Hot Rod was looking at him, expectantly, his engine revving hotly—which, in turn, made vents pop open and steam to form around his frame.  Drift smiled and let his field ripple with love and interest, as he leaned down and brushed his lips lightly over the ones that had been trying to desperately claim his mere moments ago.   A whimper caught in Hot Rod’s vocalizer—he _wanted_ to beg for more, but was afraid that Drift might turn away and reject the moment they were having.

            Drift’s kisses were _amazing_.  Teasing, taunting, caressing………..and when Hot Rod’s own lips had parted in anticipation of the ones on his—a warm, wet glossa slid inside and instantly went looking for the depths of his mouth and his own glossa.  Sensors fired off all throughout Hot Rod’s body as the two glossa slid over one another, caressing desperately, wetly.

            The young flame-colored mech couldn’t hold back any longer, he was _so very desperate_ for this as he lifted a leg to hook it over Drift’s hip.  That brought his heated groin-plating up against the older grey-and-white mech’s.  Hot Rod couldn’t help but moan and pant eagerly, arms wrapping around Drift’s neck and servos flexing—as if trying to decide whether he wanted to grip or splay them on Drift’s back somewhere.

            “ _Take me_ ,” Hot Rod whispered, desperately, staring into Drift’s optics as their last kiss parted.  “Please…….. _please_ …….. ** _please_** …………” he sobbed, rocking his groin-plating up against Drift’s.

            “ _Patience_ ,” Drift said, softly, his vocalizer turning his words into a sensual purr.  The grey-and-white mech stroked his glossa wetly along Hot Rod’s jawline and slowly moved his mouth down to the suddenly-exposed throat of the younger mech.  He nipped gently at a bit of the sensitive neck-cabling, which sent a shiver through Hot Rod’s frame and a whimper tumbling from his mouth.

            Like most Decepticons, Drift’s denta had been filed and molded with razor-edging, with the canines sharpened into fangs.  As he was aware of his own unique set of denta from his many years with others, Drift was very careful not to make Hot Rod bleed with his sharp denta, as he nibbled and sucked erotically on the younger mech’s neckplating and cables.

            When the former Decepticon returned his mouth’s attentions to Hot Rod’s faceplate and the eagerly parted lips, he reached down with a gentle servo to rub the younger mech’s array plating.  _Primus!_    The flame-colored mech’s groin-plating was burning with heat, the modesty panels were searing to the touch!

            “Open for me?”  Drift whispered, tenderly, as he swiped his glossa over the one Hot Rod was letting reach out for the grey-and-white mech’s wet mouth and touch.

            “Y—yeah…….” Hot Rod stammered, anxiety suddenly skipping over the surface of his field, and he clutched at Drift’s shoulders.

            Admittedly, Drift _was_ expecting to feel a warm and wetly dripping valve awaiting his touch, but pulled away in sharp surprise when he encountered soft and hot metal.   He thought Hot Rod was just making a comment earlier when he’d said “ _virgin_ ” and thought that maybe the younger mech simply didn’t have much experience, but…………

            “ _Slag_ ,” Drift groaned, drawing away from Hot Rod entirely and tried to calm himself down with deep incycles and exvents.   “You really _are_ a virgin, seals and all.  _Aw, **slag**_ …………” he whispered, thumping his head a few times with the heel of his servo in disbelief.

            “It’s……..it’s okay…….. _you_ can break my seals,” Hot Rod whispered, suddenly feeling cold and shivering without Drift up against him—and no longer feeling the field of the grey-and-white mech.

            “No.  It’s _impossible_ ………and I mean, I _really can’t_ ,” Drift sighed, stepping close again and cupping the younger mech’s chin.  Then he laid a light and gentle kiss above Hot Rod’s brow ridges.  “I would _love_ to be able to, but I really _can’t_ without giving you a whole lot more pain than you deserve,” he said again, very firmly, trying to allay the confusion he saw in Hot Rod’s optics and field.

            Well, _showing_ is easier than telling………..Drift reached down for one of Hot Rod’s servos and lightly drew it over to his own groin-plating, making sure the younger mech cupped the region firmly.  Hot Rod’s confusion and bewilderment increased as he realized that the metal was _cool_ and……… _utterly solid_.

            “On Fortress………those of us born from the few hotspots that flared up—we _don’t_ have interface arrays.  Some of our internal processing organs are different, too.  We really _can’t_ interface in the way that you’re expecting,” Drift explained, softly, with regret deep in the tone of his voice.  “ _Primus_ ………I am _so sorry_ , Hot Rod—if you _weren’t_ sealed, I could still use my fingers and mouth to pleasure you.  But I have absolutely _no right_ to brutally break your seals with my fangs or fingers.”

            “Drift……….. ** _I_** ………..” Hot Rod murmured, ducking his head away, as his puzzlement turned to sadness and regret.

            “I know I shouldn’t pry, but you love _Magnus_ —right?  _He’s_ the one you should really be doing this with,” Drift murmured, holding Hot Rod close to his chest and rubbed lovingly at his back, being very careful not to touch the spoiler.

            “But I love _you_ , too!  I _really_ do!”  Hot Rod sobbed, clutching at Drift achingly.

            “Yes, I know………..my dear-spark,” Drift responded, tenderness in his even-toned voice.  “If Magnus is willing, we could probably form a _trine_.  But _he’s_ the one you loved first and _he’s_ the one you should allow to break your seals.”

            “ _But_ …….. ** _he_** ………..” the flame-colored mech mewled, clinging to Drift so desperately as he rocked on his pedes.

            “Oh, don’t worry……..I shall come up with a plan to fix _that_ ,” Drift chuckled, hugging Hot Rod lovingly.  “No more tears, pretty one………we _will_ make this work, **_I promise_**.”

**Author's Note:**

> There will be two episodes after this with explicit ratings, so you can very well guess at what's coming. There's not much forwarding to the plot (though there is SOME), but we'll return to lower ratings for awhile by episode ten--when we finally leave Corona and it actually becomes the space adventure that it should be. :)
> 
> In case anyone wants to skip the next two episodes, just thought I'd post a head-up here. *wry laugh*


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